The messages are mixed on HD.
So far we've heard:
* It doesn't work on HD
* It does work on HD but only through a scart not through the HDMI cable
* If you have HD, you need separate speakers.
Lets go through these rumours and pull them together.
Reading between the lines I think that it's likely it will work on an HD
box but only if you choose to hook up your HD box to your telly using an
old fashioned scart lead rather than a high quality HDMI cable.
I'm thinking that some people at accessible customer services and
elsewhere might just be saying that it doesn't work on HD because you
won't be able to receive an HD picture if you're connecting your box to
the TV with a scart lead. What they haven't done is think like a blind
person. Most blind people won't care that they can't get an HD picture
on their TV and would happily switch back to a scart lead in order to be
able to use the talking device. I bought an HD box for the extra disk
space it has on it, not for the picture quality, for instance. It has
four times more disk space.
Lastly, we've heard that it will only work on HD if you have speakers
attached. OK so I'm beginning to think that the box also has some kind
of headphone jack or line out. What it may mean is that you can continue
to have an HD tv picture for your family to enjoy via their HDMI cable.
But if you plug in headphones or a set of speakers directly into the
device, then you can have the best of both worlds: HD and also speech.
Who likes my theory? This is beginning to feel like one of those Apple
Fan Boy websites.
...Damon
-----Original Message-----
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Mark Magennis
Sent: 24 September 2010 17:06
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: Sky Talker: much more info
Damon wrote: "If they don't integrate accessibility into their boxes,
many of us have said "well can't someone create a plug in module that we
can opt in to paying for". ".
A blind colleague recently derided the whole idea of add-on
text-to-speech boxes, describing them as just another example of "the
forgotten grey box in the corner for the helpless". It brings to mind an
image of a pile of special adaptation devices that are created as second
best alternatives and quickly become obsolete. The fact (sorry, rumour
at this stage) that this new Sky Talker doesn't even work with the
current state of the art HD boxes, which are quickly becoming the norm,
makes me wonder about its shelf life.
Mark
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